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I thought this was pretty good. The ensemble and the screenplay are enough to get you invested that you don’t spend much of the film thinking about how the story is so confined to a few locations. I suppose that is a feat of Regina King’s direction, but also the captivating conversations being had on screen that held my interest through most of the runtime (luckily, this is a film that gets better as its central themes unfold in the final hour or so but the stretch of the congregation in the hotel room post-match to when Ben-Adir and Odom really start going at one another is the weakest point of the film). The screenplay and the actors did a good job of revealing the layers of their characters and each of them felt almost fully realized and utilized. Best in show for me was Kingsley Ben-Adir, who is clearly ready to be a star, and perhaps because I was taken with his performance, I kind of view him as the singular lead of the film with everyone else in supporting. You could almost make an argument for Leslie Odom Jr. and Eli Goree at different parts of the film, but Malcolm X feels like the most central character of the film. I wish we had got just a bit more from Aldis Hodge, but I thought all four were excellent. Of the stage adaptations this season, I might still prefer “The Father,” but this was also one of the few pre-anointed “Oscar films” I’ve seen so far this year that has met or exceeded my expectations, so I’m happy with that. The buzz was being lost in recent weeks, and if it rebounds, this film could fit into the awards race in a big way, but I think Odom Jr and Screenplay are still its best bets for major nominations, and I still have it in my Picture lineup. I wish there were room for Ben-Adir but his category is stacked and he is competing with three other guys for attention in his film.
ReplyCopy URLKingsley Ben-Adir should be a lock for an Oscar nod, making a perfect lineup with Ahmed, Boseman, Hopkins and Lindo. He’s clearly the movie standout and the only lead.
Odom Jr., also a standout, is competitive for a win in supporting. Eli Goree (not a lead!) and Aldis Hodge were very good too.
Can’t choose between this one and Trial Chicago 7 as the best ensemble of the year.
ReplyCopy URLA lot of these BP contenders have been underwhelming somehow but this is one of those that live up to its hype. Bravo to everyone involved.
Maybe this is just me but I’ve actually really enjoyed all of the Oscar contenders so far this year (aside from Flopbilly of course). Last year had better films overall but some of the ones I was really exited for were duds (The Irishman, The Two Popes, 1917). This year has much greater consistency: the only film I was even slightly disappointed by was Pieces of a Woman.
ReplyCopy URLJohn's Best of 2020
Best Picture: Soul
Best Director: George Clooney-The Midnight Sky
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman-Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Best Actress: Viola Davis-Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Best Supporting Actor: Delroy Lindo-Da Five Bloods
Best Supporting Actress: Amanda Seyfried-Mank
Best Original Screenplay: Soul
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Midnight SkyForgot about this thread. I quite enjoyed this and whilst King won’t get a directing nomination I though her work was quite good here and she made the film feel quite cinematic. Aldis Hodge was the MVP for me but Ben-Adir, Goree and Odom-Jr. were all also excellent.
ReplyCopy URLFYC OSCARS : PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN IN ALL CATEGORIES (ESP. ACTRESS – Carey Mulligan AND ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY — EMERALD FENNELL), VANESSA KIRBY FOR "PIECES OF A WOMAN", ESSIE DAVIS FOR "BABYTEETH"
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